I did go to sleep during the second period (I was really tired last night), but kept waking up to that damn howl!

I hate that thing!  It makes the Woooooo sound at the Coliseum sound tame.

We were down 6-1 and then lost 6-3 in Glendale last night. 

It really did not look so bad to start the game.  Miro scoring just 105 seconds into the game.  I really thought we would take the same attitude that we had in the last 3 preseason games, and incorporate that into this game.

However, Phoenix had other ideas.

The Isles were doing EXACTLY what they did at the start of the 05-06 season.  They enjoyed a great deal of time in the SIN BIN.  5 on 3’s are not going to give your offense work.  Two of the six that Ricky gave up were off Islander defensemen.  One off Sean Hill and one off Brendan Witt.

Guys, that is NOT the way to endear yourselves to us!

Other miscues by the defense led to other Phoenix goals.  And by the mid way point of the game, it was 6-1. 

Mike Dunham was getting ready to go in, when Ricky basically told his coach and Dunham, that he wasnt going anywhere.  Kind of a bold statement to make, but finished the period not letting in any more goals.  Dunham held a clean sheet for the 3rd period. 

The Isles were severly OUTSHOT (46-29, I believe).  Mostly due to the power plays that Phoenix had.  They (Coyotes) took advantage and put the Isles down early.  The third period was a much better frame for the Isles.  They played positionally better, had a much improved puck possession, got two goals from newcomer Viktor Kozlov, but just ended up to be window dressing.

Teams in the Sterling era would probably have caved in under a rock after a 6-1 deficit.  Ted Nolan’s team did not.  They did play better in the third, and you have to take a positive out of this game, that would be it.

Yashin played a better game than in the past seasons.  He played in all the zones. He did not set the world on fire, but he did not look lost out there.  Hope it improves.

The Isles now go onto San Jose to face Cheechoo, Thornton and the rest of the San Jose Sharks.  They (SJ) are expected to be a top team in the West, so Nolan and his staff have to ensure that the team is firing on all cylinders.

Let’s hope that the defense is not just marginally better, they better be a stone WALL.  The D looks more like the 05-06 Isles, than the expected 06-07 squad.  A IMPROVEMENT is a MUST!

Great to hear Jiggs on the broadcast!  He is filling in for Howie Rose, who is covering those METS!  Billy Jaffe did a nice job last night.  I liked his reporting for OLN last year, and I think he will mesh well with Howie when he returns.

Onto San Jose! 

Posted under Islanders 06-07